Abstract
BACKGROUND: The shift to online education due to the COVID-19 pandemic posed significant challenges and opportunities for students, affecting their academic performance, mental well-being, and engagement. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the overall learning experience among health informatics master's students at Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, and the strategies they used to overcome learning challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Through 3 structured focus groups, this study explored health informatics master's students' experiences of shifting learning environments for classes that started in 2019, 2020, and 2021. All focus group sessions were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Inductive content analysis was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: The results highlight the benefits of increased autonomy and flexibility and identify challenges such as technical difficulties, diminished social interactions, and psychological impacts. This study underscores the importance of effective online educational strategies, technological preparedness, and support systems to enhance student learning experiences during emergencies. The findings of this study highlight implications for educators, students, and higher education institutions to embrace adaptation and foster innovation. Implications for educators, students, and higher education institutions include the need for educators to stay current with the latest educational technologies and design teaching strategies and pedagogical approaches suited to both online and in-person settings to effectively foster student engagement. Students must be informed about the technological requirements for online learning and adequately prepared to meet them. Institutions play a critical role in ensuring equitable access to technology, guiding and supporting educators in adopting innovative tools and methods, and offering mental health resources to assist students in overcoming the challenges of evolving educational environments. CONCLUSIONS: This research contributes to understanding the complexities of transitioning to online learning in urgent circumstances and offers insights for better preparing educational institutions for future pandemics.